SummaryAlternative reality - which encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) - could become the next big computing platform. In VR, the user is immersed in an entirely artificial world. In AR, the user sees the real world overlaid with digital data. In MR, the user sees virtual objects integrated into the real world.

In Q1 2017, 2.3 million VR/AR headsets were shipped, an increase of 70% from the same period a year ago, according to IDC. Of these, 98% were VR headsets and the remaining 2% AR. Yet, AR is where much of the action is likely to be over the next two to five years. Imagine wearing a pair of glasses with the computing power and functionality of your smartphone, activated by your voice, which recognizes what you see, where you are and the context in which you require information. Imagine shopping for food and seeing price comparisons and nutritional information instantly appear in front of your eyes.

Over the next five years, VR/AR/MR apps will transform every industry from ecommerce to social media to publishing to manufacturing design, increasing productivity and creating new ways of working, playing and shopping.

In this report we look into the value chain and industry analysis, also identifying the winners and losers.

Scope
- This report is part of our ecosystem of thematic investment research reports, supported by our “thematic engine”.
- About our Thematic Research Ecosystem
- research has developed a unique thematic methodology for valuing technology, media and telecom companies based on their relative strength in the big investment themes that are impacting their industry. Whilst most investment research is underpinned by backwards looking company valuation models, thematic methodology identifies which companies are best placed to succeed in a future filled with multiple disruptive threats. To do this, tracks the performance of the top 600 technology, media and telecom stocks against the 50 most important themes driving their earnings, generating 30,000 thematic scores. The algorithms in “thematic engine” help to clearly identify the winners and losers within the TMT sector. Our 600 TMT stocks are categorised into 18 sectors. Each sector scorecard has a thematic screen, a risk screen and a valuation screen. Our thematic research ecosystem has a three-tiered reporting structure: single theme, multi-theme and sector scorecard. This report is a Single Theme report, offering in-depth research into a specific theme. It identifies winners and losers based on technology leadership, market position and other factors.

Reasons to buy
- Our thematic investment research product, supported by our thematic engine, is aimed at senior (C-Suite) executives in the corporate world as well as institutional investors.
- Corporations: Helps CEOs in all industries understand the disruptive threats to their competitive landscape
- Investors: Helps fund managers focus their time on the most interesting investment opportunities in global TMT.
- Our unique differentiator, compared to all our rival thematic research houses, is that our thematic engine has a proven track record of predicting winners and losers.

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